Belonging to the benzodiazepine class of psychoactive medication, alprazolam is used in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Alprazolam is fast acting and provides symptomatic relief to anxiety attacks within an hour of ingestion, with its effect at full peak within one and a half hours from taking it.

Alprazolam slows down chemical movement in the brain which may have the tendency to become unbalanced. This slowed down movement reduces the amount of nervous tension or anxiety in the patient. Alprazolam is also prescribed for those who have panic disorders and depression.

Types of Anxiety Disorder Conditions

Doctors may prescribe alprazolam for particular phobias, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive or OC disorder, social anxiety, traumatic stress, and general anxiety conditions. While anxiety is experienced by all humans as an emotion, anxiety disorders are not irregular conditions and interfere with an individual’s capacity to lead an otherwise normal life.

Anxiety disorders are a serious form of mental illness; those who have them worry constantly with unfounded or imagined fear overwhelming them. As mentioned, these are:

• Obsessive-compulsive or OC disorder: those suffering from this are continuously plagued by consistent and constant thoughts of fear which cause the performance of particular routines or rituals. These thoughts are known as obsessions and the routines or rituals are known as compulsions. Someone who does an excessive amount of hand washing because of an unreasonable fear of bacteria and germs may be considered obsessive-compulsive.
• Social phobia or social anxiety disorder: this is characterized by the individual’s behavior of overwhelming self-consciousness and worry regarding daily situations involving social interaction. Constant fear of behaving wrongly as to cause humiliation or embarrassment or being judged by other people is a sign of this disorder.
• Panic disorder: intense feelings of terror which strike unexpectedly and repeatedly without provocation or warning characterize this disorder. Sweating, irregular heartbeats or palpitations, a choking feeling, and chest pain are symptoms of a panic disorder.
• Particular phobias: intense fear of particular situations or objects is called a phobia. Fear of snakes or heights, for instance, is a common phobia. When the level of fear, however, is not proportional to present or existing conditions, such as going up five steps of a staircase or seeing a big earthworm and getting hysterical, then the particular phobia disorder can be classified as an anxiety disorder.
• PTDS or post-traumatic stress disorder: individuals who experience or witness terrifying or traumatic events may develop PTDS. These events may be physical, sexual or verbal abuse, unexpected death of a family member or friend, betrayal, financial loss, public humiliation or natural disasters. Those afflicted with PTDS tend to be numb emotionally because of the lingering thoughts of frightening memories of what they have witnessed or experienced. Returning soldiers from a war or armed conflict and victims of rape, incest or other forms of abuse typically suffer from PTDS.
• General anxiety conditions: disorders which stem from these usually involve unrealistic tension or excessive worry over people or situations even when nothing is wrong or there is no reason to feel worried or stressed.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

These are general symptoms which may differ slightly from one type of anxiety disorder to another:

• Repeated and regular flashbacks of traumatic events.
• Obsessive, uncontrollable thoughts or feelings.
• Constant nightmares.
• Ritualistic behavior.
• Sleep problems.
• Unreasonable panic in daily life situations.
• Palpitations.
• Numbness in the hands/feet.
• Sweaty hands/feet.
• Restlessness.
• Unfounded fear of people, situations, and objects
• Shortness of breath most of the time.
• Dizziness.
• Muscle tension or cramps.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting episodes.
• Tingling sensations in the hands/feet.

Medication Treatment for Anxiety Disorders

Alprazolam has proven to be effective in relieving moderate to severe anxiety attacks. It has ceased to be considered a first line choice of treatment, however, with the recent development of certain serotonin reuptake inhibitor medication. In Australia, issues of dependence and abuse have resulted in alprazolam no longer being recommended for use in treating panic disorders.

Anxiety disorders directly associated with depression are responsive to alprazolam treatment; the USFDA has approved alprazolam for managing anxiety disorders and alleviating symptoms of short-term anxiety attacks. In the United Kingdom, alprazolam is recommended for usage between two and four weeks in cases of severe or acute anxiety attacks.

Side Effects

Although potential allergic reactions to alprazolam cannot be dismissed, none have been reported. The only reported side effect remains sleepiness in the patient when treatment commences. These may be possible, albeit unlikely, side effects:

• Jaundice.
• Disinhibition.
• Urinary retetntion.
• Skin rashes.
• Slurred speech.
• Dryness of the mouth.
• Lightheadedness.
• Constipation.
• Fatigue.
• Vertigo.
• Changes in libido.
• Impaired coordination.

Those taking more than 4mg of alprazolam a day may increase their risk for dependence on it. Alprazolam, like most medications, may cause the patient to experience withdrawal symptoms if there is rapid tapering of dosage or abrupt disengagement from ingesting it; in rare cases, these sudden withdrawals have cause seizures in the patients. Discontinuance of alprazolam has also been known to cause rebound anxiety, a condition worse than the original anxiety disorder.